The global economy is being reshaped by machines that generate and analyze vast amounts of data; by devices such as smartphones and tablet computers that let people work just about anywhere, even when they're on the move; by smarter, nimbler robots; and by services that let businesses rent computing power when they need it, instead of installing expensive equipment and hiring IT staffs to run it. Whole employment categories, from secretaries to travel agents, are starting to disappear.

Jobs are not being lost. Jobs are being moved from menial tasks which can be done by software and robots to engineering, design and development (of the software and robots). people just need to go get a proper education now instead of dropping out of high school at 16.

Jobs are not being lost. Jobs are being moved from menial tasks which can be done by software and robots to engineering, design and development (of the software and robots). people just need to go get a proper education now instead of dropping out of high school at 16.

This about sums it up.

You can build a robot to do a person job, but you have to hire someone to maintain the robot.

Or if you want to use the travel agent example: you can get rid of the human booking, but you still need a team of developers to design the website and technologies that involve taking the information from the user to the hotel/whatever.

Jobs are not being lost. Jobs are being moved from menial tasks which can be done by software and robots to engineering, design and development (of the software and robots). people just need to go get a proper education now instead of dropping out of high school at 16.

What would you classify as a proper education? Let's not forget that skilled labor that doesn't encompass engineering, design and development is in very high demand because there are so few people getting the required education and training.

Jobs are not being lost. Jobs are being moved from menial tasks which can be done by software and robots to engineering, design and development (of the software and robots). people just need to go get a proper education now instead of dropping out of high school at 16.

Some people were born to dig ditches. Where is this world that you live on where every person has the ability to learn how to program computers?

Jobs are not being lost. Jobs are being moved from menial tasks which can be done by software and robots to engineering, design and development (of the software and robots). people just need to go get a proper education now instead of dropping out of high school at 16.

Well yes but you might need say a team of 10 engineers to develop and maintain a fleet of harvesting machines that do the work of 500 unskilled labourers, for one totally made up example.

If businesses still had to employ as many people (more educated and qualified people as well - ie more expensive) then why would they bother with automation? The whole point is to reduce costs.

Jobs are not being lost. Jobs are being moved from menial tasks which can be done by software and robots to engineering, design and development (of the software and robots). people just need to go get a proper education now instead of dropping out of high school at 16.

Since that's the case, how about we start with trying education reform that allows for easier (monetary) access to college and addresses student needs to at least try and make sure they don't want to drop out.

Also, machines are what we make of them. We can just as easily create more jobs by giving the more menial ones to machines as we can lose them.

Every job bubble has to burst. Even IT. But we'll always be one step ahead of what we build and that's where we need to look for making more jobs.

Last edited by Flaks; 2013-01-24 at 03:14 AM.

Originally Posted by High Overlord Saurfang

"I am he who watches they. I am the fist of retribution. That which does quell the recalcitrant. Dare you defy the Warchief? Dare you face my merciless judgement?"

Well yes but you might need say a team of 10 engineers to develop and maintain a fleet of harvesting machines that do the work of 500 unskilled labourers, for one totally made up example.

If businesses still had to employ as many people (more educated and qualified people as well - ie more expensive) then why would they bother with automation? The whole point is to reduce costs.

first if you think 10 people can do the research and developement required to come up with new machines you have no idea what proper research and development entrails. But from the second comment you seem to be looking at just a company. yes jobs will be lost in 1 company but new companies will have to come up that actually develop that machines and software being used by the first company thereby developing new jobs. E.G :- a company buy a new software that makes redundancies in there work force - that software was developed by a company that was not there before the software was available making new job vacencies in that work area.

Some people were born to dig ditches. Where is this world that you live on where every person has the ability to learn how to program computers?

LOL people who believe they were born to dig ditches are lazy. You may not become a rocket scientist or physicist but everyone can get the basic knowledge and skill to do a skilled labor job. Every one has the capacity for learning (unless you have a real learning disability which is completely different scenerio). Yes some people will have to work harder than other for the same amount of knowledge absorption but saying some people are so dumb they can only learn how to handle a shovel is retarded.

Jobs are not being lost. Jobs are being moved from menial tasks which can be done by software and robots to engineering, design and development (of the software and robots). people just need to go get a proper education now instead of dropping out of high school at 16.

Your aware that dropping out of highschool at 16 doesnt immediately invalidate your chances of getting into college/uni/apprenticeships/ a job, right?

Some people were born to dig ditches. Where is this world that you live on where every person has the ability to learn how to program computers?

LOL people who believe they were born to dig ditches are lazy. You may not become a rocket scientist or physicist but everyone can get the basic knowledge and skill to do a skilled labor job. Every one has the capacity for learning (unless you have a real learning disability which is completely different scenerio). Yes some people will have to work harder than other for the same amount of knowledge absorption but saying some people are so dumb they can only learn how to handle a shovel is retarded.

---------- Post added 2013-01-24 at 02:39 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Tommo

Your aware that dropping out of highschool at 16 doesn't immediately invalidate your chances of getting into college/uni/apprenticeships/ a job, right?

Yes but it also greatly diminishes your chances (al least in Australia) as dropping out of highschool means you haven't even completed your schooling which is a minimum requirement for all universities and trade scholls.